The fifth flavor, umami?
It's a bit old memory, but when I think back to what I learned when I was in school, I knew four things: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. It is said that Fortress learned that there are five flavors, including umami. This was really new news for me, and I don't know how you will feel. I think some of you may be unfamiliar with it, so I'm going to give you some explanation about “umami.”
It is said that umami became officially recognized when it was recognized as the fifth basic flavor at an international symposium in 1985. I remember being a little surprised when I looked into it because it seemed older than I thought. Umami is a Japanese word that combines “umai,” which means “delicious,” and “beauty,” which means delicious. Numerous studies and papers have been published to formalize this term. I think this could be a more appropriate expression of nationalization rather than localization. While most countries are keen on localizing companies' products and services, Japan is investing more time and money into domestication. In order for nationalization to be recognized, more resources are needed in terms of time and cost compared to localization. It seems that Japan has been constantly trying to do this work. “Umami” can be said to be an example of a successful effort.
The most important thing is to balance localization and nationalization with the goal of catching both rabbits. The most important thing is not to be biased towards either side.
Coming back, how can we translate nationalized terms such as umami? You could translate it as umami, and if you explain it in a slightly more detailed way, umami, or deep flavor, it wouldn't be wrong to express it as one of the five basic flavors of flavor. It's always amazing how a single word can be interpreted in so many ways. How does Letterworks translate “umami”? I hope you found today's letter useful, and I'll be back with the next one.
Editor l Lee In Hye
inhye.lee@twigfarm.net
